Fiber proportioning, blending and preparation method, system and apparatus



March 12,

,FIBER PROPORTIONIIIG,.

Filed Sept. 3, 1959 K G LYTTON 9 BLENDING AND PREPARATION METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR KENNETH G. LYTTON ATTORNEYS March 12, 1963 K. e. LYTTON 3,080,617

FIBER PROPORTIONING, BLENDING AND PREPARATION METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 3, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS JVMOPNQUJ j 1 iwwm KENNETH e. LYTTON SK a March 12,, 1963 K G LYTTON 3,080,617

FIBER PROPORTIONII JG, BLENDING AND PREPARATION- METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Sept. 3, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTQR KENNETH G. LYTTON BY MM ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,080,617 Patented Mar. 12, 195 3 FllBER PRQPORTIUNENG, BLENDHNG AND PREPA- RATlifiN METHQD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Kenneth G. Lytt'on, Gastouia, NdfL, assigncr to Fiber @ontrols Qorporation, Gastonia, N.., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Sept. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 837,842 16 Claims. (Cl. l9--145.7)

This invention relates to an improved method, system, and apparatus for substantially continuously blending different kinds or types of textile fibers in a production line. More particularly, the invention pertains to improvements in continuously proportioning and mixing different textile fibers to form a blend wherein not only are the proportions of the different fibers maintained substantially constant but also the fibers are more uniformly mixed throughout. The invention also relates to improvements in processing textile fibers, particularly a blend of different fibers, in preparation for a carding operation thereon.

It is known in the art to blend different textile fibers by an automatic proportioning and mixing system which includes a plurality of automatic fiber feeding and weighing machines, one for each different fiber making up the blend. These weighing feeders are arranged along a collecting conveyor to periodically deposit thereon batches of fibers, with the batches successively discharged by each machine being of a constant predetermined weight. The discharging operations of the several weighing feeders are so correlated with the operation of the conveyor that the batches of fibers from the machines deposited in layers on top of one another to build up on the conveyor successive sandwich-like stacks of fibers, each containing the same number of layers of the different fibers and with the amount or weight of fibers in corresponding layers of each stack being substantially constant. These stacks are then fed directly from the discharge end of the conveyor into a fiber mixing machine usually of the beater type, such as a machine known conventionally as a beater-blender. A fiber blending system of the aforedescribed type is disclosed in the co-pending application of Lytton et al., Serial No. 348,406 filed April 13, 1953.

The blended fibers produced by the aforedescribed systern usually are put through a picker to further mix the different fibers in the blend and also to better condition the fibers for feeding them into a card to form a sliver. In some instances, the picker is of the type which forms a lap, but in many instances the picker merely mixes and opens the fibers which are then fed to a card by a weighing type card feeder, such as a Bramwell feeder.

While the aforedescribed blendin system has achieved considerable commercial success, deficiencies still exist. For example, it has been found in actual practice that longitudinal streaks frequently occur in the final sliver when the different fibers making up the blend are of different color. Even though all the different fibers are of the same color, if such different fibers have different dyeabsorption characteristics, it has been found that streaking will occur when yarn made from the sliver is dyed. It has been determined that the streaking occurs because the blend is not uniform throughout, i.e., the fibers of the blend are not sufficiently mixed and as a consequence the proportions of the different fibers are not constant throughout the entire mass of fibers discharged from the picker.

In one particular instance, the streaking was minimized by rerunning the output of the picker back through the beater-blender and back through the picker. Moreover, at slower speeds a textile card achieves some mixing of the fibers, so that by slowing down the card, streaking mized. Obviously, however, it is both time-consuming and costly to rerun a blend through a beater-blender and of the sliver produced thereon was even further minia picker. The time consumption can be avoided by an additional beater-blender and an additional picker, but the cost of such additional equipment is not inconsiderable. For example, a picker costs from $30,000 to $50,000. Furthermore, operating a card at slower speeds reduces its sliver production rate.

A still further disadvantage of the aforedescribed system is that a picker requires a considerable amount of time to clean up between runs of different blends. In actual practice picker clean up time is about eight hours. The clean-up operation is essential in order to avoid contamination of a different blend in a succeeding run by waste fibers accumulated in the apparatus from a prior run. A picker also is a relatively large machine and occupies considerable floor space.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved method, system, and apparatus for blending different textile fibers which not only will maintain sub stantially constant the proportions of the different fibers making up the blend, but also will thoroughly mix such fibers to achieve a substantially uniform blend which can be fed to a card without causing streaks in sliver produced thereon.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved blending and processing system for textile fibers which conditions the fibers for feeding into a card without the use of a picker, which has a greater production rate than a system employing a picker, and which is less expensive to construct and operate than a system employing a picker.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view partly in vertical section, of an automatic blending system embodying this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, of the system shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a reduced vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FiGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 an automatic blending system embodying this invention. The system includes a number of automatic weighing feeders, one for each separate fiber to be introduced into the blend. Four such weighing feeders A, B, C, and D are shown in the drawings by way of illustration. The weighing feeders are of known construction, and may be of the type disclosed, for example, in the above-mentioned Lytton et al. application. For the purposes here, it is sufficient to point out that each machine A, B, C, and D is provided with a hopper-like portion 10 into which the fibers are introduced and in the bottom of which is an endless conveyor 12 which moves the fibers toward the lower end of an upwardly inclined spiked apron (not shown). This apron, in conjunction with other instrumentalities of the machine, both opens the fibers somewhat and feeds them at a substantially constant rate to a downwardly directed discharge opening through which they fall into a weighpan 14. The weighpan 14- is suspended from a scale beam (not shown) which is adjustable to tilt when a predetermined Weight of fibers has been received in the pan.

The controls (not shown) for each feeding and weighing machine are such than when the pan 14 has received its predetermined weight of fibers and the scale beam supporting such pan has tilted, the motor (not shown) driving the weighing feeder stops, so that nofurther fibers will be fed into the weighpan. Each weighpan 14 also is provided with bottom dumping doors 16, which, when open, permit the batch of fibers of predetermined weight accumulated in the pan to be discharged and to drop downwardly upon an endless sandwiching or collecting conveyor 18 running beneath the weighpans of all of the weighing feeders A, B, C, and D. The controls (not shown) for the dumping doors 16 of the several machines are associated with the conveyor 18 in such a manner that each batch of fibers discharged from each machine falls in substantially coextensive overlying relation on top of a batch of fibers previously deposited on the conveyor by an adjacent machine. The result, as best shown in FIGURE 1, is to build up on the conveyor 18 successive sandwich-like stacks 20 of fibers each containing the same number of layered batches a, b, c, and d of the different fibers deposited by the respective machines A, B, C, and D and with the quantities or weight of fibers in the layers of each stack being substantially constant. Preferably, the batches of fibers are deposited in such a manner that the successive completed stacks 20 adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor 18 are substantially contiguous, as shown in FIGURE 1, so that the fibers are discharged from the conveyor in a substantially continuous blanket, which may, in a sense, he said to be laminated, with each lamination containing the separate fibers deposited by only one of the fiber feeding and weighing machines.

A more detailed description of the fiber feeding and weighing machines A, B, C, and D and of the control system therefor, for forming the aforedescribed sandwichlike stacks 20 or continuous laminated blanket, is set forth in the aforementioned Lytton et al. application so that there is no need for a repetition here.

It is sufficient for the purpose of this invention that apparatus be provided for forming on a conveyor a laminated blanket or successive sandwich-like stacks of fibers with each layer thereof being made up of one kind of the different fibers being blended and the proportions, by weight, of the different layers being maintained substantially constant.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the conveyor 18 has an endless belt 22 running over end rollers 24 and 26 and is provided with fixed side walls 28 to retain the fibers on the belt. The roller 24 at the discharge end of the conveyor 18 is driven to move the belt 22, by a belt or chain drive 30 from a sprocket on an idler shaft 32, a large pulley or sprocket on such shaft being driven, in turn, by a belt or chain 34 from a pulley or sprocket on the output shaft of an electric motor 36. Preferably, the conveyor 18, slightly in advance of its discharge end, is provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined fixed plate 38 extending transversely between the side walls 28 of the conveyor above the upper reach of the belt 22. The purpose of the plate 38 is to compress the several layers a, b, c, and d of fluffy fibers downwardly so that they will be effectively operated upon by a pinch roll 40 disposed above the end roller 24. Preferably, the opposite ends of the shaft supporting the pinch roll 40 are journalled in bearings 42 mounted in vertical slideways 44, in the conveyor sidewalls 28, an adjustable stop 46 being provided at the lower end of such slideways to limit the extent of downward movement of the roll. A' coil compression spring 48 is interposed between the top of each slideway 44 and the bearing 42 therein to constantly urge the roll 40 downwardly into engagement with the fibers passing therebeneath. The roll 40 preferably is driven clockwise as viewed in FIGURE 3, as by a chain drive 50 from the conveyor roller 24, and the surface of the roll is provided with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced longitudinallyextending ribs 52 having relatively sharp edges which serve to grip the fibers in their passage between the roll 40 and the discharge end of the conveyor 18.

Immediately adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor 18 is a beater type fiber mixing and blending device 54 of the general type commonly known as a beater blender, but embodying certain improvements. The device 54 in:ludes a forwardly and upwardly inclined tubular housing having a substantially flat top 56 and upright side walls 58, with the lower open end of the housing being aligned with the discharge end of the conveyor 18. Journalled in the side walls 58 of the housing at its lower end is a cylinder or drum 60 studded with a plurality of relatively long, sharp-pointed spikes 62. The cylinder 60 is driven in a clockwise direction as shown in FIGURE 3, and is so arranged that the tips or points of the spikes 62 pass downwardly closely adjacent the pinch roll 40 and the discharge end of the conveyor 18 so that they rip into and tear off small increments from the somewhat compressed laminated blanket or sandwich stack 20 of fibers being fed from between the pinch roll and the discharge end of the conveyor.

In this connection, it will be noted that at each pass of each spike 62 against the fibers, its point tears through all of the laminations or layers a, b, c, and d, thus removing small increments of fibers from all of the layers at each pass. It further will be noted that the pinch roll 40, in conjunction with the end roll 24 of the conveyor 18 and its belt 22, firmly compresses and grips the laminated blanket of fibers and thus prevents large clumps or portions of the fibers from being torn out of the blanket by the spikes 62. Thus, although each spike 62 tends to remove only a small increment of fibers at each pass, such increment includes fibers from all of the layers a, b, c, and d of the blanket. Since the cylinder 60 is studded with a large number of spikes 62 and revolves at relatively high speed, it will be seen that it will act to tear or rip the end of the laminated blanket of fibers into very small shreds, each containing small portions of all of the different kinds of fibers being blended.

Spaced in closely adjacent succession within and along the length of the housing of the device 54, closely following the spiked cylinder 60, are a number of heaters 64, such as three or four, journalled in the housing side walls 58. The beaters 64 are in the form of cylinders or drums 66 smaller in diameter than the spiked cylinder 60 and provided with a plurality of radially extending beater bars 68 each generally rectangular in cross-section. The bars 68 on each beater 64 are fewer in number than the spikes 62 on the cylinder 60 and their primary purpose is to beat and thereby mix the shredded fibers as they are passed through the housing under the whipping action of the heaters. Beneath the spiked cylinder 60 and each beater 64, the lower wall of the housing is made up of semi-cylindrical sections 69 which conform to some extent to the peripheries of the spiked cylinder and the heaters. Preferably, fiat transverse bafiles 70 depend within the housing from its top wall 56 in alignment with, but terminating short of, the line of juncture of the semicylindrical lower wall sections 69. Thus, small openings 72 through which the fibers must pass are provided between the separate beater or housing chambers 74. As shown in FIGURE 3, both the spiked cylinder 60 and the heaters 64 are driven in a clockwise direction, so that the fibers, in passing from one chamber 74 to another, are caused to change direction substantially, which accentuates the mixing action of the machine.

At its upper end the tubular housing of the mixing device 54 is provided with a discharge opening that communicates directly with an opening in the upper portion of a side wall 76 of an enclosed vertical tubular housing or chute 78, which is generally rectangular in plan view. Within the lower end of the housing 78 is a conveyor 80, best shown in FIGURE 5, on which fall all the fibers discharged into the chute from the beater-blender 54. The conveyor 80 comprises an endless belt 82 trained over end rollers 84 and 8d and extends at an angle of about 90 to the direction of the collecting conveyor 18. At the discharge end the conveyor 80 extends into a lateral enlargement 88 of a lower portion of the housing 78. Immediately beneath the top wall of such enlargement 8?; is a downwardly and outwardly inclined conveyor Q comprising an endless belt 92 trained over end rollers 94 and 95. The inclined conveyor 90 cooperates with the conveyor 80 to compress the pile of fibers on the rearward end of the latter and to feed the fibers in the form of a relatively thin blanket into a card-like fiber processing and mixing machine 93.

The conveyors 00 and 90 are driven at the same speed and at a rate sufficient to remove fibers from the housing 78 at the same rate they are fed thereinto from the beater-blender 54. In this connection the speed of the conveyor 80 is slow enough so that the proper removal rate will not take place until a substantial quantity of fibers has piled up on the conveyor 80, as shown in FIG- URE 5. The conveyors 80 and 90 are driven in synchronism with the collecting conveyor 18, either by the motor 3d (such drive not being shown) or by a separate motor (not shown) so that the conveyors 80 and 90 run or stop with the collecting conveyor 13. The heaterblender 54 is driven independently of the conveyors 18, 80 and 90 and, preferably, runs continuously when the blending system embodying this invention is in operation.

Fibers being discharged from the beater-blender S4 normally emerge therefrom with a velocity having a considerable horizontal component. Thus, the natural tendency of the fibers is to pile up on the opposite side of the conveyor 80 at the lower end of the chute 78. In order to prevent this action and to uniformly distribute the fibers across the entire width of the conveyor 80, there is provided in the upper portion of the chute 78 and opposed to the discharge opening of the beater-blender 54, an upright baifie 10b of stepped configuration in plan view, as seen in FIGURE 6. The battle 100 completely covers the horizontal projection of the discharge opening of the beater-blender 54 and extends angularly across the chute '78 from one side thereof to the other so as to extend completely across the conveyor 30. Consequently, as best seen in FIGURE 6, fibers emerging from the lefthand side of the discharge opening of the beater-blender 5 travel only a short distance across the chute before they strike a vertical wall 102 comprising one step of the battle 100. The fibers, on impact against such wall 102, fall directly downwardly upon that portion of the con veyor 80 nearest the discharge opening of the beaterblender 54. The action of the remaining steps of the bztfile 100 in diverting the fibers discharged from the beater-blender 5d and distributing them uniformly across the width of the conveyor 80 is obvious.

The reason for the angularity between the conveyors 1S and 80 may be explained by reference to FIGURE 4 of the drawings which shows the manner in which the batches of fibers a, b, c, and d discharge from each fiber feeding and weighing machine A, B, C, D and fall on top of one another on the collecting conveyor 18. Because the fibers in each batch being discharged from a weighing feeder are quite fiuify, each batch, as it is deposited on the conveyor 18, or on top of another batch, does not tend to spread out into a blanket or layer of substantially uniform thickness. Instead, the fibers may tend to tumble laterally to some extent, so that each layer of fibers making up the sandwiched stack or laminated blanket 20 is not of uniform thickness. Moreover, the positioning of the layers may differ from stack to stack. Consequently, although each transverse vertical segment of fibers in a sandwiched stack 20 contains the proper proportion of the different fibers making up the blend, each longitudinal segment of such stack does not necessarily contain the proper proportion of fibers. The spiked cylinder 60 and heaters 6 3 of the fiber mixing device 54 operate primarily on such longitudinal segments, and the action of the cylinder and beaters is not such as to impart very much lateral movement to the fibers, in their passage through the fiber mixing device. As a result, although some lateral mixing of the fibers does take place in the beater-blender 54, it is far from thorough, so that the fibers emerging therefrom are not uniformly mixed as respects all of the different fibers making up the blend. Thus, it will be seen that in order to achieve a more thorough mixing a greater extent of lateral mixing of the fibers must take place.

Such further lateral mixing is accomplished by means of the conveyors and and the fiber processing machine 93. The conveyors S0 and 90 receive the fibers after they are discharged from the beater-blender 54 and move them in a direction that extends laterally as respects the direction of movement of the collecting conveyor 18. Since the fibers falling through the chute 7% pile up to a considerable extent on top of the laterally moving conveyor 80, any subsequent mixing of the fibers by rotating instrumentalities tearing off small increments of fibers from the discharge end of the conveyor 8t} will achieve the desired lateral mixing. In this connection, it has been found in actual practice that the conveyor 00 may be disposed at an angle of from about 45 to about 90 to the direction of the movement of the collecting conveyor 13 and still achieve the desired improved blending.

The card-like fiber processing machine 98 includes a pair of feed rolls 103 disposed closely adjacent the discharge ends of the conveyors 80 and 9b to receive the relatively thin com-pressed blanket of fibers emerging therefrom. The feed rolls 103 preferably are knurled and also provided with a plurality of circumferentiany spaced longitudinal flutes in order to firmly grip the fibers and feed them further into the machine 98. The rolls 103 also preferably are driven in synchronism with the conveyors, as by the same motor, but at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of the conveyors 30 and 90. Disposed closely adjacent the feed rolls 103 is a lickerin 104 in the form of a cylinder studded with short fine teeth that are inclined in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. In an actual embodiment of the machine the licker-in teeth are about /s" high and spaced on centers. In such embodiment, the diameter of the licker-in 104 is of the order of 11" and it is driven at a speed from about 1100 to about 1200 rpm. (a peripheral speed of from about 3150 to about 3500 feet per minute) in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 5.

Following and closely adjacent the licker-in T04 is a carding cylinder 106 of larger diameter driven in an opposite direction from the licker-in, i.e., clockwise, as shown in FIGURE 5, so that the opposed portions of the peripheries of the licker-in and the cylinder are travelling in substantially the same direction. The cylinder 106, likewise, is studded with fine teeth inclined in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. Again, in an actual embodiment of the invention, the cylinder teeth are of the order of in height and are spaced on the centers. In that same embodiment the carding cylinder is of the order of 24" in diameter and is driven at a speed of from about 600 to about 700 r.p.m. (a peripheral speed of from about 3750 to about 4400 feet per minute).

Disposed on top of the cylinder 106 are two sets of toothed cylinders, each set including a worker 108, of somewhat smaller diameter than the licker-in 104, and a stripper of still smaller diameter. Each worker 103 is provided with teeth that are inclined rearwardly of its direction of rotation, while each stripper 110 is provided with teeth that are inclined in its direction of rotation. The teeth of both the workers 10$ and strippers 110 are of substantially the same size and spacing as those on the carding cylinder 1%. The workers 108 and strippers 110 are driven in directions so that the opposed portions of the peripheries of each worker 108 and the carding cylinder 106, and of each stripper 110 and the carding cylinder are moving in substantially the same direction. It will be seen, however that the opposed portions of each stripper 110 and its worker 108 move in opposite directions.

In the aforementioned actual embodiment of the invention, the workers 108 are driven at a speed of the order of 26 r.p.m., while the strippers 110 are driven at a slightly greater speed so that their peripheral speeds are considerably greater than those of the workers. In such actual embodiment of the invention, the clearance be tween the tips of the teeth on the workers 108 and on the carding cylinder 106 is of the order of .0018", while the same clearance exists between the tips of the teeth on each worker and on its corresponding stripper 110.

The licker-in 104 and carding cylinder 106 are enclosed in a housing having upper and lower portions 112 and 114 which conform to and are disposed closely adjacent to the peripheries of the corresponding portions of the licker-in and the cylinder. The upper portion 112 of the housing is enlarged, as at 116, over the cylinder 106, however, to provide space for the sets of workers 108 and strippers 110. At that side of the carding cylinder 106 opposite the licker-in 104, the housing is provided with a generally rectangular discharge opening or duct 118. The inner portion of the bottom wall of such duct 118 is formed by an inclined plate 120 provided with slotted flanges 122 at its opposite sides through which extend bolts 124 to adjustably secure the plate to the side Walls of the machine 98. It will be seen that the plate 120 can be adjusted to vary its spacing from the tips of the carding cylinder teeth so as to restrict the flow of air between the lower portion of the carding cylinder 106 and the opposed lower portion 114 of the housing. The outer end of the duct 118 opens into a somewhat enlarged chamber defined by a six-sided housing 126. One lateral side of the housing 126 is provided with screened opening 128 for the inlet of air while the opposite side of the housing has connected thereto a duct 130 which communicates with the inlet of a centrifugal fan 132. The outlet of such fan 132 is connected to a conveying duct 134.

When the blending system embodying this invention is in operation, the card-like machine 98 preferably runs continuously, i.e., the licker-in 104, carding cylinder 106 and Workers 108 and strippers 110 are driven continuously, as by a separate electric motor (not shown). It will be seen that the teeth of the licker-in 104 tear downwardly through the blanket of fibers emerging from between the feed rolls 103 and tear off extremely small increments of such fibers, while the feed rolls compress and hold the blanket so that no large clumps can be stripped or torn therefrom by the licker-in. This stripping and tearing action of the licker-in 104 on the blanket of fibers tends to mix the latter to a considerable extent. As the teeth on the carding cylinder 106 pass in close adjacency to the teeth on the licker-in 104, fibers are stripped and transferred from the latter onto the teeth of the carding cylinder and are moved upwardly, in the direction of the rotation of such cylinder, in the form of a very thin web. The interaction of the carding cylinder 106 and the licker-in 104 mixes the fibers to some degree and also serves to arrange them on the cylinder in a generally parallel relation, somewhat the same as the fiber arrangement formed on the cylinder of a conventional card. Because of the extremely close spacing between the workers 108 and the carding cylinder 106, the workers strip olf from such cylinder substantially all fibers that project above the tips of the teeth on the carding cylinder. The strippers 110 remove these fibers from the workers 108 and transfer them back to the carding cylinder 106 in the form of a relatively thin web. The use of two sets of workers 108 and strippers 110 serves to minimize the presence on the carding cylinder 106. at the discharge opening 118, of any clumps of fibers that project upwardly above the teeth on the cylinder. The workers 108 and strippers 110 also have a mixing as well as a combing action on the fibers.

It will be seen that operation of the centrifugal fan 132 will create a suction or reduced pressure within the housing 126 and also within the discharge duct 130. This suction serves to strip the thin web of fibers from the cylinder 106 and convey the fibers, mixed with air, into the conveying duct 134. This duct 134 may terminate in any sort of appropriate condenser (not shown), which serves to separate the fibers from the conveying air. The fibers may then be stored in bins, or baled, preparatory to being fed, by means of an appropriate weighing feeder (not shown) into a card (not shown) to form a sliver.

The fibers thus produced by the system and apparatus embodying this invention not only are more thoroughly mixed to form a more uniform blend, but also are in a condition quite suitable for feeding them directly into a card without the necessity of further conditioning by a picker. Moreover, the cost of the card-like fiber processing machine 98 is far less than that of a picker, in many instances being only of the cost of a picker. Additionally, it has been found in actual practice that it requires only about 30 minutes to clean up the fiber processing machine 98 between runs of dilferent blends through the system. Of even further importance is the fact that the aforementioned actual embodiment of the machine 98, in which the carding cylinder is less than three feet long, has a capacity of at least 1200 pounds of fibers per hour, as compared to about 600 pounds per hour for an average picker.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing specific embodiment has been shown and described only for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and is subject to extensive change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Processing apparatus for textile fibers comprising: a first apron-type conveyor; means for periodically depositing directly by gravity in generally coextensive overlying relation on said conveyor the same number of predetermined quantities of different textile fibers to form on said conveyor successive sandwich-like stacks having substantially constant proportions of the dilferent fibers; a fiber mixing device comprising an elongated housing having an inlet and an outlet at the opposite ends thereof and a plurality of spaced beaters rotating on transverse axes therewithin for mixing and conveying fibers from said inlet to said outlet with an average horizontal component of motion having generally the same direction of movement as fibers on said first conveyor and for discharging fibers through said outlet with said average horizontal component of motion, said inlet being aligned with said conveyor at the discharge end thereof for receiving the stacks directly therefrom; a second apron-type conveyor extending at an angle of from about 45 to about to said first conveyor and disposed beneath said outlet for receiving directly by gravity fibers discharged from said mixing device; and a fiber processing and mixing machine positioned to receive fibers directly from said second conveyor, said machine having fiber engaging and moving instrumentalities which rotate on substantially parallel horizontal axes disposed transversely of said second conveyor.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 including fixed bafilc means for distributing fibers discharged from the device substantially uniformly across the width of the second conveyor.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 including means for driving the second conveyor at a rate for moving spasm 9 fibers at the same quantity per unit of time as the fibers are moved by the first conveyor.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 including means for driving the first and second conveyors in synchronism.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the operation of the depositing means and the operation of the first conveyor are correlated so that the stacks are substantially contiguous.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 including an upright bafile opposed to the discharge of fibers from the mixing device, said bafile being of stepped formation in plan view and extending across the second conveyor at an acute angle to the direction of movement thereof for distributing fibers discharged from said device substantially uniformly across the width of said second conveyor.

.7. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the machine is a card-like device having as fiber-engaging and moving instrumentalities feed rolls, a licker-in, a carding cylinder, and at least one set of toothed cylinders com prising a worker and a stripper.

S. The structure defined in claim 7 including suction means associated with the card-like device for doifing the carding cylinder.

9. The structure defined in claim 7 wherein the carding cylinder is driven at a peripheral speed of the order of from about 3750 feet per minute to about 4400 feet per minute and the licker-in at a peripheral speed of the order of from about 3150 feet per minute to about 3500 feet per minute.

10. The method of processing textile fibers, the steps comprising: periodically depositing directly by gravity in generally coextensive overlying relation the same number of predetermined layered quantities of different textile fibers to form a succession of sandwich-like stacks having substantially constant proportions of the different fibers forming the layers of each stack; feeding the stacks in succession directly into a fiber mixing device of the multiple-beater type with each stack being presented to the device in such a manner that all of the layers of the stack are operated upon at the same time by the initial fiber-moving instrumentalities of the device; mixing the different fibers together in the device and discharging them from the device in generally the same horizontal direction; forming the discharged fibers directly by gravity into a mat of generally uniform thickness and moving the mat in a direction extending at from about 45 to about 90 to the horizontal direction of discharge of the fibers from the device; and feeding the mat substantially directly into a fiber processing machine in which the fibers will be mixed further.

11. The method of processing textile fibers, the steps comprising: periodically depositing by gravity in generally overlying relation the same number of predetermined layered quantities of different textile fibers to form a succession of sandwich-like stacks having substantially constant proportions of the difierent fibers forming the layers of each stack; feeding the stacks in succession directly into a fiber mixing device of the multiple-beater type with each stack being presented to the device in such a manner that all of the layers of the stack are operated upon at the same time by the initial fiber-moving instrumentalities of the device; mixing the different fibers together in the device and discharging them from the device in generally the same horizontal direction; depositing the discharged fibers directly by gravity uniformly across the width of a conveyor moving in a direction of from about 45 to about 90 to the horizontal direction of discharge of fibers from the device; and feeding the fibers on the conveyor substantially directly into a card-like fiber processing machine.

12. Processing apparatus for textile fibers comprising: means for forming successive sandwich-like stacks comprising layers of different textile fibers with the number of layers and the proportions of the different fibers comprising the layers being substantially constant; a fiber l0 mixing device of the multiple-beater type; means for feeding said stacks in succession into said device so that each stack is presented to the device in such a manner that all of the layers of each stack are operated upon at the same time bythe initial fiber-moving instrumentalities of the device; a substantially upright chute positioned to receive directly into the upper end thereof the fibers discharged from said mixing device; a generally horizontal conveyor underlying the lower end of said chute and extending at an angle of from about 45 to about to the horizontal direction of movement of fibers discharged from said mixing device; and a card-like fiber processing machine positioned to receive fibers directly from the discharge end of said conveyor.

13. The structure defined in claim 12 in which the machine includes feed rolls, a licker-in, a carding cylinder, and suction means for dofiing said cylinder.

14. The structure defined in claim 12 including bafile means within said chute for effecting the deposit of fibers on the conveyor substantially uniformly across the width thereof.

15. The structure defined in claim 14 in which the bafile means is of stepped formation in plan view and extends across the conveyor at an acute angle to the direction of movement thereof.

16. Processing apparatus for textile fibers comprising: a beater-type fiber mixing device having a discharge opening through which fibers are discharged with a velocity having a considerable horizontal component; a vertical tubular enclosure having an opening in an upper portion of a side wall thereof communicating directly with said discharge opening of said device; a conveyor Within the lower portion of said enclosure for receiving the fibers discharged thereinto, said conveyor extending at an angle of the order of from about 45 to about 90 to the direction of horizontal movement of said fibers being discharged from said device; and bafile means within said enclosure for distributing fibers discharged from said device substantially uniformly across the width of said conveyor.

17. The structure defined in claim 16 in which the distributing means includes an upright baffie opposed to the discharge opening of the mixing device, said baffle being of stepped formation in plan view and extending across the conveyor at an acute angle to the direction of movement thereof.

18. Processing apparatus for textile fibers comprising: a beater-type fiber mixing device having a discharge opening through which fibers are discharged with a velocity having a considerable horizontal component; a vertical tubular enclosure having an opening in an upper portion or a side wall thereof communicating directly with said discharge opening of said device; a conveyor within the lower portion of said enclosure for receiving the fibers discharged thereinto, said conveyor extending at an angle of the order of from about 45 to about 90 to the direction of horizontal movement of said fibers being discharged from said device; baffle means within said enclosure for distributing fibers discharged from said device substantially uniformly across the width of said conveyor; a lateral enlargement of said enclosure at a lower portion thereof with said conveyor extending and moving thereinto; and a compression conveyor inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the discharge end of said first-mentioned conveyor for compressing the fibers thereon into mat-like formation for discharge from said enclosure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 215,501 Barker May 20, 1879 287,405 Barker Oct. 30, 1883 331,841 Thomas Dec. 8, 1885 630,479 Beran Aug. 8, 1899 (Other references on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Franke 'et a1 Jan. 23, 1923 Wild et al Mar. 12, 1929 Benoit Dec. 31, 1940 Schubert et a1 Apr. 21, 1953 Senior et a1 Jan. 12, 1954 Greene et a1. Mar. 8, 1955 Kennette et a1. Ian. 24, 1956 Smith July 29, 1958 Svende et a1 Aug. 5, 1958 Leineweber May 12, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS f France May 24, 1950 Great Britain Nov. 5, 1940 

1. PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR TEXTILE FIBERS COMPRISING: A FIRST APRON-TYPE CONVEYOR; MEANS FOR PERIODICALLY DEPOSITING DIRECTLY BY GRAVITY IN GENERALLY COEXTENSIVE OVERLYING RELATION ON SAID CONVEYOR THE SAME NUMBER OF PREDETERMINED QUANTITIES OF DIFFERENT TEXTILE FIBERS TO FORM ON SAID CONVEYOR SUCCESSIVE SANDWICH-LIKE STACKS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT PROPORTIONS OF THE DIFFERENT FIBERS; A FIBER MIXING DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED BEATERS ROTATING ON TRANSVERSE AXES THEREWITHIN FOR MIXING AND CONVEYING FIBERS FROM SAID INLET TO SAID OUTLET WITH AN AVERAGE HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF MOTION HAVING GENERALLY THE SAME DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT AS FIBERS ON SAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND FOR DISCHARGING FIBERS THROUGH SAID OUTLET WITH SAID AVERAGE HORIZONTAL COMPONENT OF MOTION, SAID INLET BEING ALIGNED WITH SAID CONVEYOR AT THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF FOR RECEIVING THE STACKS DIRECTLY THEREFROM; A SECOND APRON-TYPE CONVEYOR EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE OF FROM ABOUT 45* TO ABOUT 90* TO SAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND DISPOSED BENEATH SAID OUTLET FOR RECEIVING DIRECTLY BY GRAVITY FIBERS DISCHARGED FROM SAID MIXING DEVICE; AND A FIBER PROCESSING AND MIXING MACHINE POSITIONED TO RECEIVE FIBERS DIRECTLY FROM SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, SAID MACHINE HAVING FIBER ENGAGING AND MOVING INSTRUMENTALITIES WHICH ROTATE ON SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL HORIZONTAL AXES DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SECOND CONVEYOR.
 10. THE METHOD OF PROCESSING TEXTILE FIBERS, THE STEPS COMPRISING: PERIODICALLY DEPOSITING DIRECTLY BY GRAVITY IN GENERALLY COEXTENSIVE OVERLYING RELATION THE SAME NUMBER OF PREDETERMINED LAYERED QUANTITIES OF DIFFERENT TEXTILE FORMING THE LAYERS OF EACH STACK; FEEDING THE STACKS IN SUCCESSION DIRECTLY INTO A FIBER STACK BEING PRESENTED TO THE TIPLE-BEATER TYPE WITH EACH STACK BEING PRESENTED TO THE DEVICE IN SUCH A MANNER THAT ALL OF THE LAYERS OF THE STACK ARE OPERATED UPON AT THE SAME TIME BY THE INITIAL FIBER-MOVING INSTRUMENTALITIES OF THE DEVICE; MIXING THE DIFFERENT FIBERS TOGETHER IN THE DEVICE AND DISCHARGING THEM FROM THE DEVICE IN GENERALLY THE SAME HORIZONTAL DIRECTION; FORMING THE DISCHARGED FIBERS DIRECTLY BY GRAVITY INTO A MAT OF GENERALLY UNIFORM THICKNESS AND MOVING THE MAT IN A DIRECTION EXTENDING AT FROM ABOUT 45* TO ABOUT 90* TO THE HORIZONTAL DIRECTION OF DISCHARGE OF THE FIBERS FROM THE DEVICE; AND FEEDING THE MAT SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTLY INTO A FIBER PROCESSING MACHINE IN WHICH THE FIBERS WILL BE MIXED FURTHER. 